| 59. Objects withdraw
from an abstinent man, but not the taste. On seeing the supreme, his. taste,
too, ceases.The senses, vishayah, meaning literally senseobjects, here stands
for the senses,it is true, withdraw from objects even in the case of an
ignorant person who, practising extremist austerity, abstains from all sensuous
objects ; but the taste or inclination (rasa) for those objects ceases not.
(Rasa is used in the sense of taste or inclination in such expressions as
svarasena pravrittah, rasikah, and rasaynah. ) Even that taste, that subtle
attachment, vanishes in the case of the devotee who, having seen the Supreme
Reality, the Brahman, thinks I am myself That; that is to say, his perception
of sensuous objects becomes seedless (nirbija), has lost all germ of evil.
The meaning is this: In the absence of right knowledge, there can be no
annihilation of taste for sensuous objects ; wherefore, steadiness of right
knowledge (prajna) should be acquired.Unrestrained senses work mischief.He
who would acquire steadiness of right knowledge (prajna,) should first bring
the senses under control. For, if not controlled, they will do harm. So,
the Lord says: |
